Cody Shirk

CODY SHIRK is an international investor who sources his deals by one simple method: exploring.

3 words to describe Nature?

Pure, vast, mystery

3 things Nature taught you?

Humility, joy, fear

3 most treasured Nature spots?

Channel Islands (off of California), Baja desert, Central America jungle

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?

Humbled

When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?

Curious

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?

Fearful

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?

Lucky

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?

Alive

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?

Aware

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?

Ocean

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?

9

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

I grew up in a rural area of Malibu, CA. I didn't have any friends that lived close by, so I'd spend most of my days hiking or surfing by myself. On the weekends, I'd often pack a small backpack with water and food. I'd just start walking into the hills, bushwhacking the coastal chaparral and avoiding cactus. I always wanted to know what was around the next corner, because I knew there was a good chance no one had ever walked the ground that I was on. I've always like that feeling. The feeling of mystery. Of curiosity. Of knowing that the next corner could be hiding an incredible secret. On one of these hikes, I had probably walked several miles into the hills. It had taken me hours of climbing over rocks, avoiding yucca bushes, and picking ticks off my arms. I was probably 12 years old at the time, so although I was adventurous, I still had that childhood fear of the unknown inside of me. I ended up hiking into a dried up creek bed with sheer stone walls on either side. After walking up the creek bed for a little while I came to a huge rock that was a waterfall during the rainy season. At the base of the waterfall was a small amount of water. I couldn't hike up the waterfall face and either side was impassible. It was a box canyon. What I didn't notice was that there was an enormous coyote drinking water from the tiny amount of left over water. It's grey coat perfectly blended in with the stone background. Frozen in fear, I just looked at the animal. I realized that I had completely blocked it's exit, and I knew that I was in an extremely vulnerable position. I though the coyote was going to eat me. I just stood there. The coyote finally walked towards me and passed by me within an arms length. It didn't run and it didn't avoid me. It just casually walked by while making perfect eye contact. Maybe some kind of mutual understanding.